U.S. patent number 10,988,992 [Application Number 16/390,158] was granted by the patent office on 2021-04-27 for wireless sheave wheel for wireline operations.
This patent grant is currently assigned to GEODYNAMICS, INC.. The grantee listed for this patent is GEODYNAMICS, INC.. Invention is credited to Phillip Phelps, Rick Wallace.
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United States Patent |
10,988,992 |
Phelps , et al. |
April 27, 2021 |
Wireless sheave wheel for wireline operations
Abstract
A sheave wheel includes a housing; a wheel attached to the
housing and configured to rotate relative to the housing; a depth
and tension measurement system attached to the housing and
configured to measure a parameter associated with the wheel; and a
local control system attached to the housing and configured to
exchange information associated with the measured parameter in a
wireless manner with a ground control system.
Inventors: |
Phelps; Phillip (Fort Worth,
TX), Wallace; Rick (Azle, TX) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
GEODYNAMICS, INC. |
Millsap |
TX |
US |
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Assignee: |
GEODYNAMICS, INC. (Millsap,
TX)
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Family
ID: |
1000005514479 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/390,158 |
Filed: |
April 22, 2019 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20200131862 A1 |
Apr 30, 2020 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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62750884 |
Oct 26, 2018 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B
19/008 (20130101); E21B 19/084 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E21B
19/00 (20060101); E21B 19/084 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
Industrial Sensors & Instruments, Inc., "Tension Links; TLG
Series Tension Links", retrieved from the internet:
http://www.i-s-i.com/; retrieved on Apr. 5, 2019. cited by
applicant .
SeaCOUNT-BT Sheave and Cable Counter, retrieved from Internet:
https://seafloorsystems.com/products/hydrographic/sidescan-sonar/products-
, retrieved from internet on Oct. 26, 2018. cited by applicant
.
Strainstall Limited, "Digitalization in the oil and gas sector:
wireless measurement technology innovation for wellsite
operations," James Fisher and Sons PLC, News and Press Releases,
Sep. 18, 2018, 2 pages. cited by applicant .
Strainstall Limited, "Strainstall partners with Baker Hughes, a GE
company, in a pioneering product development project," James Fisher
and Sons PLC, News and Press Releases, Aug. 16, 2018, 2 pages.
cited by applicant .
US Office Action for related U.S. Appl. No. 16/665,642, dated Oct.
6, 2020. (With the exception of the references cited herein, the
remaining references cited in the Office Action are already of
record.). cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Carroll; David
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Patent Portfolio Builders PLLC
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A wireline system for well exploration, the system comprising: a
wireline to be lowered into the well; a top sheave wheel configured
to hold the wireline aligned and above a head of the well; a bottom
sheave wheel configured to hold the wireline aligned with a
wireline truck; and a ground control system configured to receive,
in a wireless manner, a measured parameter from the top sheave
wheel, wherein the top sheave wheel includes, a depth and tension
measurement system that is configured to measure the parameter, a
processor that is electrically connected to the depth and control
measurement system, a memory that stores the measured parameter,
and a transceiver that is controlled by the processor and is
configured to transmit the measured parameter, in a wireless
manner, to the ground control system.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the top sheave wheel comprises: a
housing; a wheel attached to the housing and configured to rotate
relative to the housing; and the depth and tension measurement
system is attached to the housing.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the depth and tension measurement
system includes a rotation measurement device that measures a
rotation of the wheel.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor translates a
rotation of the wheel into a length traveled by the wireline around
the wheel of the top sheave wheel.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the wireline is attached to a
gun.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the depth and tension measurement
system includes a tension measurement device that measures a
tension in a wheel of the top sheave wheel.
7. The system of claim 2, wherein the depth and tension measurement
system comprises: a rotation measurement device that measures a
rotation of the wheel; and a tension measurement device that
measures a tension in the wheel.
8. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a power generator
attached to the top sheave wheel and electrically connected to the
depth and tension measurement system and configured to generate
electrical energy from a rotation of a wheel of the top sheave
wheel to power the depth and tension measurement system.
9. A method for lowering a wireline into a well, the method
comprising: attaching a top sheave wheel to a crane; placing the
wireline over the top sheave wheel; lowering the wireline into the
well; measuring with a depth and tension measurement system, which
is attached to the top sheave wheel, a parameter associated with
the wireline; and transmitting in a wireless manner the measured
parameter, from the top sheave wheel to a ground control system,
wherein the top sheave wheel comprises: a processor that is
electrically connected to the depth and control measurement system;
a memory that stores the measured parameter; and a transceiver that
is controlled by the processor and is configured to transmit the
measured parameter, in a wireless manner, to the ground control
system.
Description
BACKGROUND
Technical Field
Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein generally relate
to wireline operations associated with an oil and gas well, and
more specifically, to techniques and processes for lowering a tool
in the well while accurately measuring the movement of the tool
and/or a tension associated with the tool.
Discussion of the Background
While a well is drilled or operated for extracting oil and gas,
various tools need to be lowered into the well in a controlled
manner, i.e., knowing the tension that is applied to the tool and
also knowing the position of the tool in the well. Such a tool may
be a cable (e.g., wireline, rope or other type of wire) that is
connected to other tools, e.g., gun, setting tool, packer, valve,
etc.
Traditionally, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a system 100 for lowering
the tool 110 (wireline in this example) through a head 111 into the
well 112 includes a wireline truck 120, its ground control system
130, and a crane 150 (only its boom is shown in the figure). The
wireline 110 is attached with one end to a winding drum 122 of the
wireline truck 120 and the other end is lowered into the well 112
and may be attached to a tool 114. Tool 114 may be gun, string of
guns, sub, switch, toe valve, fluid valve, setting tool, or other
well equipment. The wireline truck 120 has a wireline depth and
tension measuring device 124, which not only guides the wireline
110, but also measures the movement of the line and the tension in
the line. The wireline depth and tension measuring device 124 is
connected to a depth and tension measurement unit 132 that receive
the measured signals and transforms them in an actual length and/or
tension. This information is then passed to a shooting panel 134
and also to a hoist computer/controller 136. A computing device 138
(for example, a laptop) controls the shooting panel and the hoist
computer. Information from the hoist computer 136 is distribute to
various interfaces, for example, a display 140, a global controller
143, and another display 144, that are used by the operator of the
wireline truck for maneuvering the wireline into the well.
The winding drum 122 is connected to a motor 125 (e.g., a hoist
electric motor) that is controlled by a power controller 126. The
power controller 126 receives its power from a power source 128,
e.g., a generator. The power controller 126 interacts with the
hoist computer 136 and is configured to respond to various commands
of the wireline truck operator. Note that the wireline truck
operator can interact with the various elements of the system
through the hoist computer 136 and/or the shooting panel 134. The
shooting panel 134 is used mainly to shoot a gun, if the tool 114
is a gun string.
System 100 also includes two sheave wheels 140 and 142. During a
wireline operation, the bottom sheave wheel 140 is tied off to a
secure tie point 141, for example attached to the head of the well
112, and the top sheave wheel 142 is suspended from the crane 150.
The two sheave wheels are aligned with the winding drum 122 and the
head of the well 112 so that the wireline 110 can be deployed
inside the well. System 100 may also include a lubricator device
116 through which the wireline 110 passes before entering the well,
to lubricate the wireline. The lubricator device may also be
suspended from the crane or attached to the head of the well.
The top sheave wheel 142 is moved to a desired position by the
crane boom to allow for the wireline 110 to make the transition
from the wireline truck 120 through the bottom sheave wheel 140 up
and over the top sheave wheel 142 with a direct straight path into
the pack-off 117 at the top of the lubricator device 116 and into
the well bore 112. The sheave wheel in current usage has no line
length (i.e., depth) or line tension measurement capability and it
is only used to re-direct the wireline from the wireline hoist unit
into the top of the lubricator.
In previous wireline operations (in particular, open hole
applications), an individual tension link (not shown, but present
instead of the wireline depth and tension measuring device 124),
such as those manufactured by Industrial Sensors & Instruments
(Texas, US) have been attached between the crane 150 and the top
sheave wheel 142, with connections to the wireline truck being made
by an electric cable for measuring the tension in the cable 110.
This type of tension measurement is made in cases where the
wireline measure head is a "straight line" (see products from
Geo-Log, Texas, US) type of measuring device, and thus not capable
of a wireline tension measurement.
The existing measuring devices employ a slight amount of line
deflection of the wireline as it travels through the measuring
device to obtain a line tension measurement. Because the amount of
deflection is very small, an accurate measurement of the line
tension is difficult to obtain and it is subject to various line
anomalies and mis-calibration. Further, the extra cables that
connect these measuring devices to the wireline truck sometime
impede the operation of the wireline and the crane. Thus, there is
a need for a new measuring system that overcomes the above
deficiencies.
SUMMARY
According to an embodiment, there is a sheave wheel that includes a
housing, a wheel attached to the housing and configured to rotate
relative to the housing, a depth and tension measurement system
attached to the housing and configured to measure a parameter
associated with the wheel, and a local control system attached to
the housing and configured to exchange information associated with
the measured parameter, in a wireless manner, with a ground control
system.
According to another embodiment, there is a wireline system for
well exploration, and the system includes a wireline to be lowered
into the well, a top sheave wheel configured to hold the wireline
aligned and above a head of the well, a bottom sheave wheel
configured to hold the wireline aligned with a wireline truck, and
a ground control system configured to receive, in a wireless
manner, a measured parameter from the top sheave wheel. The top
sheave wheel includes a depth and tension measurement system that
is configured to measure the parameter.
According to yet another embodiment, there is a method for lowering
a wireline into a well and the method includes attaching a top
sheave wheel to a crane, placing the wireline over the top sheave
wheel, lowering the wireline into the well, measuring with a depth
and tension measurement system, which is attached to the top sheave
wheel, a parameter associated with the wireline, and transmitting
in a wireless manner the measured parameter, from the top sheave
wheel to a ground control system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute
a part of the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments
and, together with the description, explain these embodiments. In
the drawings:
FIG. 1 illustrates a traditional wireline distribution system;
FIG. 2 illustrates a wireline distribution system that uses a
wireless depth and tension measurement system attached to a top
sheave wheel;
FIG. 3 illustrates the top sheave wheel;
FIG. 4 illustrates the depth and tension measurement system;
FIG. 5 illustrates another implementation of the depth and tension
measurement system;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for using the depth and tension
measurement system; and
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a sheave wheel
having a depth and tension measurement system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following description of the embodiments refers to the
accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers in different
drawings identify the same or similar elements. The following
detailed description does not limit the invention. Instead, the
scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. The
following embodiments are discussed, for simplicity, with regard to
a wireline that is dispatched inside of a well. However, the
embodiments discussed herein are not limited to positioning a
wireline in a well, but they may be applied to other tools that are
introduced in an enclosure and their tension and/or position need
to be known.
Reference throughout the specification to "one embodiment" or "an
embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or
characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is
included in at least one embodiment of the subject matter
disclosed. Thus, the appearance of the phrases "in one embodiment"
or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout the
specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment.
Further, the particular features, structures or characteristics may
be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
According to an embodiment, a depth and tension measurement system
is fully attached to a sheave wheel (inside, outside or both) and
this system communicates in a wireless manner with a wireline truck
or another ground control system. No part of the depth and tension
system is attached to the boom of the crane. Measured information
about the movement (rotation) of the top shear wheel and/or a
tension exerted on the shear wheel by a tool that is being lowered
into the well is processed by the depth and tension measurement
system and then wireless transmitted to the ground control
system.
FIG. 2 shows an oil and gas exploration system 200 that has a depth
and tension measurement system 210 implemented on the top sheave
wheel 242. The depth and tension measurement system 210
communicates in a wireless manner with an antenna 232 of a ground
control system 130, which may be located on the wireline truck 120
or on the ground. Thus, measurements related to the line 110
movements and/or its tension are transmitted to the ground control
system 130 without any wires, which likely would made the entire
system 200 more easily to control and use.
By placing the depth and tension measurement system 210 on the top
sheave wheel, the measurements' accuracy is improved. In this
regard, the currently used wireline units are susceptible to
inaccuracies because of mis-calibration and are prone to other
inaccuracies, such as line slippage between the measuring wheel and
the line, and variations in line diameter from manufacture
variation or line wear. In this regard, the wireline industry
standard line measurement system is accomplished with a wireline
measure head 124. The measurement of the line 110 length is
accomplished by a calibrated (or electronically compensated,
uncalibrated) measure wheel that is turned by the line traversing
through the measure head in a precise manner. Because of
contaminates that get attached to the wireline (for example, well
fluids, or other non-well related contaminates) a measurement of
the longitudinal length of the wireline by a measure wheel is prone
to errors, not the least of which is slippage, i.e., the
circumference of the measuring device slippage along the
longitudinal length of the wireline.
The primary reason for slippage is that only a small area of
contact around the circumference of the measure wheel is in actual
contact with the wireline. In the case of the wireless sheave wheel
242, especially in the case of the sheave wheel in the top position
as illustrated in FIG. 2, the wireline 210 wraps nearly 180.degree.
around the circumference of the measure wheel. This fact alone
virtually eliminates any slippage between the wireline and the
measure wheel. The actual sheave wheel 242 need not be specially
calibrated mechanically, as any errors that are present can be
compensated for within the electronic measure conversion, i.e., the
generation of electrical signals from the measure wheel
measurement.
In the same manner, the line tension measurement made in the
traditional measure head 124 in FIG. 1 is accomplished by a very
small deflection of the line thru the measure device, which equates
to a very small fraction of the actual line tension being measured.
Errors in calibration are exaggerated by this small ratio. The
upper sheave wheel 242 in FIG. 2 does not face this problem as the
tension measurement is nearly double the actual line tension,
again, because of the nearly full wrap around the sheave wheel of
the wireline. Because of this high degree of wrap, any errors in
measurement are actually reduced when converted to electrical
signals. In one application, it is envisioned that the upper sheave
wheel 242 in FIG. 2 could easily replace the measure head assembly
124 in FIG. 1, as the primary line measurement device.
Therefore, the linear line measurement made on the top sheave wheel
as illustrated in FIG. 2 eliminates the chance of line slippage
between the line and the wheel (because of the wrap of the line 110
around the measuring wheel 242, which is near to 180.degree.) and
the measurement accuracy of the tension in the line is improved by
the fact that the line tension measured at the top sheave wheel 242
is double the actual line tension (because of the wrap angle around
the sheave wheel).
Existing line tension measurement devices currently only measure a
small fraction of the actual line tension and resolve the small
measurement into the actual line tension because of the low angle
of deflection of the wireline through the measuring head. If the
tension measurement is made from the bottom sheave wheel, (i.e., a
load cell is attached to the bottom sheave wheel connection 141),
then the measured line tension is still less than the actual
tension because of the less than 180.degree. wrap of line 110
around the bottom sheave wheel 240. As the measurement accuracy is
very dependent upon the operator performing accurate angular
measurements of the line wrap around the bottom sheave wheel, this
method also fails to provide accurate results for the tension
measurement.
However, the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 avoids these problems
because the line 110 is almost perfectly wrapped around the top
sheave wheel 242, and thus, the tension measured by the depth and
tension measurement system 210 is double the tension in the
line.
The depth and tension measurement system 210 is now discussed in
more detail with regard to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is an overall view
of the top sheave wheel 242 and includes a housing 300 that
partially encloses a wheel 310. Wheel 310 is attached to an axle
312, which is held by the housing 300. Wheel 310 is configured to
rotate about the axle 312. A shackle 340 is attached to the housing
300 and the shackle is configured to be attached to the boom of a
crane (not shown).
FIG. 4 is a side view of the top sheave wheel 242 and the depth and
tension measurement system 210. Housing 300, wheel 242, and axle
312 are visible in this figure. In addition, a rotation measurement
device 410 located on the housing 300 is also visible. Rotation
measurement device 410 may be located inside or on the outside of
the housing 300. The rotation measurement device 410 is configured
to count how many times the wheel 310 turns when the line 110 (not
shown) moves across the wheel so that a length of the line's
traveling distance may be estimated by a controller. To ensure that
the line does not slip over the wheel, the wheel 310 has a groove
402 in which the line 110 fits. The rotation measurement device 410
may be a tachometer, that includes an optical sensor or Hall effect
sensor for counting the rotations of the wheel 310 relative to the
axle 312. However, other types of sensors may be used.
The depth and tension measurement system 210 may also include a
tension measurement device 420, that is located between the housing
300 and the shackle 340. The tension measurement device 420 may be
a load cell, which is a transducer that creates an electrical
signal whose magnitude is associated with the force or tension
measured. Other sensors may be used for measuring the tension in
the cable 110. Although FIG. 4 shows the tension measurement device
420 being located between the housing 300 and the shackle 340, it
is possible to locate the sensor in the axle 312 or at other
locations.
Measurements from the rotation measurement device 410 and the
tension measurement device 420 are collected at local control
system 430. Local control system 430 may include a processor 432
for processing the received signals (for example, digitizing the
signals and mapping the measured signals to actual lengths and
forces experienced by the line 110), a memory 434 for storing the
signals and software necessary for processing the signals, a
wireless transceiver 436 that is capable of transmitting data with
a transmitter to the ground control system 130 and also for
receiving, with a receiver, data, instructions and/or commands from
the ground control system 130. The wireless transceiver 436 may use
FM frequency, AM frequency, Bluetooth technology, infrared
technology, or other known wireless technologies for communicating
with the ground control system 130. The control system 430 may also
include a battery 438 and various other electronics. In one
application, a generator 440 may also be provided in the housing
300 to interact with the wheel 310 so that electrical energy is
generated as the wheel is turning. The electrical energy is
supplied to the control system 430.
In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the components of the
depth and tension measurement system 210 are distributed between
the top sheave wheel 242 and the bottom sheave wheel 240 as
follows. The rotation measurement device 410 and the local control
system 430 are left on the top sheave wheel 242, so that this
system measures only the movement of the line 110. The tension
measurement device 420 and an additional local control system 530,
that may be identical to the original local control system 430, are
installed on the bottom sheave wheel 240. The local control systems
430 and 530 may be configured to exchange data only with the ground
control system 130, and/or to communicate between them and with the
ground control system. Both local control systems 430 and 530 have
the capability to exchange data in a wireless manner and also to
receive energy from a local battery and/or an electrical generator
440 that is located on the housing of each wheel and is activated
by the rotation of each wheel.
Note that although the previous embodiments disclosed placing the
rotating measurement device 410 on the housing 300 of the top
sheave wheel 242, it is possible to set the rotating measurement
device 410 directly on the wheel 310, for example, as an
accelerometer.
A method for operating a wireline system that includes one or both
of the top and bottom sheave wheels 240 and 242 is now discussed
with regard to FIG. 6. The method includes a step 600 of attaching
a top sheave well 242 to a crane, wherein the top sheave well
includes a depth and tension measurement system 210. In step 602, a
wireline 110 (or another well related tool) from a wireline truck
is placed over the top sheave wheel. In step 604, wireless
communication is established between a ground control system 130
and the depth and tension measurement system 210. In step 606, the
wireline 110 is lowered into the well 112 and in step 608 one
parameter of the wireline (for example, the travel distance or the
tension in the wireline 110 or both) is measured with the depth and
tension measurement system 210. In step 610, information associated
with the measured parameter is transmitted in a wireless manner,
from the depth and tension measurement system 210 to the ground
control system 130. Depending on this information, the operator of
the wireline ground control system 130 decides in step 612 to
perform an action with a tool attached to the wireline, for
example, if the parameter describes the distance travelled by the
wireline into the well, activate the guns or activate a setting
tool when the position underground of that tool has reached its
desired target. Other actions may be implemented with the
wireline.
A method for manufacturing a depth and tension measurement system
210 is now discussed with regard to FIG. 7. The method includes a
step 700 of attaching a rotation measurement device 410 to a
housing 300 of a top sheave wheel 242, a step 702 of attaching a
tension measurement device 420 to the housing, a step 704 of
providing a local control system 430 on the housing, where the
control system is electrically connected to the rotation
measurement device 410 and the tension measurement device 420, a
step 706 of providing a wireless transceiver on the housing, in
electrical communication with the local control system, and a step
708 of attaching a wheel, that is free to turn, to the housing.
The disclosed embodiments provide a wireless depth and tension
measurement system, integrated on a sheave wheel for wireline
operation associated with a well. It should be understood that this
description is not intended to limit the invention. On the
contrary, the exemplary embodiments are intended to cover
alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which are included in
the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended
claims. Further, in the detailed description of the exemplary
embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to
provide a comprehensive understanding of the claimed invention.
However, one skilled in the art would understand that various
embodiments may be practiced without such specific details.
Although the features and elements of the present embodiments are
described in the embodiments in particular combinations, each
feature or element can be used alone without the other features and
elements of the embodiments or in various combinations with or
without other features and elements disclosed herein.
This written description uses examples of the subject matter
disclosed to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the
same, including making and using any devices or systems and
performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the
subject matter is defined by the claims, and may include other
examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other
examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims.
* * * * *
References